Transforming into a stunningly beautiful fox spirit, leaving a scar on the heart of a prodigy.

Suddenly, chaos erupted at the other end of the street.

The originally crowded people dispersed like waves cleaved by a knife.

The vendors frantically protected their bottles and jars, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

A dull thud of chains dragging on the ground, mixed with a beast-like roar, came from the end of the long street.

"What's wrong?"

Su Chang'an still had half a wonton in his mouth, his cheeks were bulging, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.

She put the empty bowl on the table, grabbed Chen Xuan's sleeve, and plunged into the crowd.

"Let's go, let's go take a look."

Chen Xuan stumbled as she pulled him, but he had no choice but to protect her and shield her from the shoving crowd around them.

In the middle of the street, a group of disciples dressed in white robes from the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect were escorting a disheveled man forward.

The man was bound by thick black iron chains, covered with densely packed runes that shimmered with an eerie light as he struggled.

His clothes were tattered, and his exposed skin was covered with scratches, some so deep that the bone was visible, and blood was still seeping out.

What's most frightening is his eyes.

It had no whites in its eyes, only a bright red color, and made strange "hoho" sounds. It bared its teeth at anyone it saw, and saliva dripped down the corners of its mouth. It no longer resembled a human at all.

"Behave yourself!"

The disciple escorting the man kicked him in the back of the knee, causing him to fall to his knees.

Su Chang'an squeezed to the front, peering in and clicking his tongue in amazement: "What kind of evil kung fu did this guy practice? He's gotten himself into this state."

The white-robed disciple leading the group frowned upon hearing the voice, about to reprimand him, but then turned around and saw Chen Xuan standing behind Su Chang'an.

The disciple's expression changed instantly; his previously cold and hard face melted away, replaced by a respectful one. He quickly walked over and bowed to Chen Xuan with clasped hands.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Chen."

Chen Xuan nodded slightly in return.

His reputation within the sect was so great that even though he spent most of his time at the Broken Heart Residence, no one was unfamiliar with his face.

"What's going on?" Chen Xuan glanced at the man who was still struggling frantically on the ground.

The disciple leading the group sighed, a hint of regret and helplessness on his face.

"Replying to Senior Brother, this is Senior Brother Zhao from the inner sect. A few days ago, he went into seclusion to break through to the Transformation Realm, but... instead of eliminating his inner demons, he was devoured by them and went mad."

Su Chang'an's ears perked up.

"Inner demons?" she interjected.

The disciple leading the group glanced at Su Chang'an, and seeing that Chen Xuan didn't intend to stop them, he patiently explained:

"Our Supreme Forgetfulness Sect's cultivation method emphasizes supreme forgetfulness of emotions. From casting the cauldron to transforming into a physical form, there is an insurmountable chasm."

"To transform the Dharma into its true form, one must first vanquish the inner demons."

"Only by severing the deepest obsessions and strongest desires in one's heart, achieving a state of perfect tranquility, can one draw the power of heaven and earth into the body and attain Dharma form. If one cannot sever these..."

He pointed to the madman on the ground.

"At best, their cultivation will be completely destroyed; at worst, they will lose their minds and become nothing more than a beast that only knows how to kill."

Chen Xuan's fingers tightened suddenly.

Cut off your obsession.

Cut off your desires.

The disciple leading the group, oblivious to Chen Xuan's unusual demeanor, continued to lament, "It's such a pity about Junior Brother Zhao. I heard he couldn't let go of a mortal woman in his heart. Before he went into seclusion, he even said that he would go down the mountain to marry her once he achieved the Transformation Stage. But... the hurdle of love is hard to overcome."

The madman suddenly raised his head.

His scarlet eyes were fixed on Chen Xuan, or rather, on Su Chang'an beside Chen Xuan.

He let out a muffled roar, which sounded like both crying and laughing.

"Kill...kill..."

As Chen Xuan looked into those eyes, the surrounding noise suddenly faded away.

My vision began to distort.

The madman's face changed.

It became his own face.

Standing before him was no longer the team leader, but Su Chang'an, dressed in red.

That was his inner demon.

"Red-Clad Su Chang'an" floated in mid-air, barefoot, with bells tied around her ankles, ringing with each step.

She moved closer to Chen Xuan, extended her cool fingers, and gently stroked his cheek.

"Did you hear that, you good boy?"

The inner demon's voice was alluring and seductive, yet brimming with malice.

"You must vanquish your inner demons."

Who is your inner demon? It's me.

The inner demon chuckled, pressed itself against Chen Xuan, and breathed into his ear.

"Do you want to advance to the Transformation Stage? Do you want to become stronger? Then you'll have to kill me."

"Take your sword and plunge it into my heart. Cut away all your filthy thoughts about me, all your desire to imprison me, to possess me."

"Are you willing to part with it?"

Chen Xuan's body stiffened, and his face turned deathly pale.

The veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping the sword hilt, were bulging, and his knuckles were white.

The inner demon laughed even harder, drawing circles on his chest with his finger.

"If you don't kill me, you'll become that madman. Then you'll tear me apart with your own hands and devour my flesh and blood... just like that Junior Brother Zhao."

"Chen Xuan, you practice the Dao of Forgetfulness, but you are driven by deep affection. You cannot succeed on this path."

"roll!"

Chen Xuan roared inwardly.

The inner demon was roared away, turning into a cloud of red mist, which then coalesced behind him.

"I am you, where do you want me to go?"

in reality.

Seeing Chen Xuan's pale face, the leading disciple assumed he was upset by the scene and quickly apologized, "Senior brother, please forgive us. This madman has offended your eyes. We'll take him back to the sect's dungeon right away."

After saying that, he waved his hand, and several disciples dragged the still-screaming madman away quickly.

The crowd regrouped, and murmurs rose and fell.

Chen Xuan stood still for a long time.

The surrounding lanterns were bright, and the voices were loud, but he felt cold.

The cold seeped from between the bones.

The highest form of detachment is forgetting emotions.

It requires exchanging the most precious thing in one's life for it.

If one can only become stronger by severing their feelings for Su Chang'an, then what's the point of cultivating immortality?

But if it's not repaired...

How could he possibly protect her?

Dead end.

A warm hand suddenly reached out and waved in front of his eyes.

"He's back to life!"

Su Chang'an's voice pulled him out of the ice hole.

Chen Xuan snapped out of his daze and looked at the girl in front of him.

She suddenly had a mask in her hand; it was a grinning pig's head, uniquely ugly.

"What are you daydreaming about? They've all disappeared." Su Chang'an shoved the pig's head mask onto Chen Xuan's face. "Put it on."

Chen Xuan didn't dodge, letting the ugly mask cover his face.

His line of sight narrowed, and he could only see her through two eye holes.

Su Chang'an himself also wore a mask, which was a smiling, big-headed doll.

"Chen Xuan".

"Hmm." A muffled voice came from under the mask.

"Just ignore what your senior brother said earlier."

Su Chang'an walked forward two steps with his hands behind his back, then turned around and walked backwards, his big-headed doll-like smiling face facing the pig's head.

"What talk of 'slaying inner demons' and 'forgetting emotions' is utter nonsense."

"Who says you have to become a monk to cultivate immortality? Who says you can't become stronger if you have people in your heart?"

She stopped and, through the mask, reached out and poked the pig's nose.

"Look at that madman. He's mad because he's weak and his will is not strong. What does it have to do with that mortal woman? Blaming a woman for his own incompetence, a man like that would be a useless piece of trash even if he became an immortal."

Chen Xuan didn't speak, he just looked at her quietly.

Su Chang'an sighed.

That rebellious son is very calculating; I wonder if he's even listened to anything.

She looked around, and suddenly her eyes lit up.

There was a small stall selling fireworks by the roadside.

Su Chang'an ran over, took out a few copper coins, and bought a "skyrocket".

"Let's go to the river."

Without saying a word, she grabbed Chen Xuan's hand and ran towards the small river outside the town.

The wind was strong by the river, causing the hems of their clothes to become tangled together.

Su Chang'an stuck the "skyrocket" into the mud on the riverbank, took out the tinderbox, and lit it.

"Whoosh—smack!"

Several streaks of fire shot into the sky, exploding into a few rather unremarkable little flowers in the night sky.

The firelight reflected on the river, creating a shimmering effect.

Su Chang'an removed her mask, revealing a small face reddened by the cold wind. She watched the fleeting fireworks, her voice unusually gentle.

"Chen Xuan".

"I'm here." Chen Xuan also took off his mask and held it in his hand.

"You've got it."

Su Chang'an turned his head, his fox-like eyes shining brightly in the firelight.

"What if one day you really go crazy and become that kind of monster?"

She reached out and cupped Chen Xuan's face in her hands; her palms were warm.

"I'll lock you in a cage, feed you roast chicken every day, and stroke your feathers."

"As long as I live, no one will dare to lay a finger on you."

"Even if the King of Heaven himself came, I would still take a piece of his flesh first."

Chen Xuan looked at her.

The surging dark emotions and clamoring inner demons in my heart suddenly quieted down at this moment.

Like a wildfire drenched by a spring rain, only wisps of smoke remain.

He raised his hand and placed it on the back of Su Chang'an's hand.

"it is good."

"Then I'll wait to eat your roast chicken."

Su Chang'an grinned, revealing two sharp little tiger teeth.

"Dream on, you'll have to buy the roast chicken yourself."

She released her grip, turned around, and shouted at the river, "You old bastards of the Supreme Forgetfulness Sect! I don't care about your crappy cultivation techniques!"

The shouts echoed across the empty riverbank.

Chen Xuan stood behind her, looking at the menacing figure, a faint smile curving his lips.

Slaying the inner demons?

If you are the inner demon.

Then I will raise a demon to cause trouble.

I'm determined to protect this demon.

"Let's go! Home!"

Su Chang'an finished shouting, turned around, and reached out her hand to him.

"Carry me on your back, my feet hurt."

Chen Xuan walked over and squatted down in front of her.

The girl's light body lay on his back, her arms wrapped around his neck, her warm breath spraying behind his ear.

"Chen Xuan".

"Um?"

"Remember to bring me a roast chicken back with you."

Chen Xuan chuckled softly and lifted her up by the knees.

"it is good."

The two walked back along the riverbank.

The shadows were stretched long by the moonlight, blending into the long night.

The snow started again.

But it wasn't cold that night.

"A Night's Talk at the End of the Night, on the Theme of Broken Hearts"

Madness is not necessarily caused by love, and the great path does not require severing the red thread.

A ghostly face hides as fireworks are watched; a woman in red enters a dream and murmurs.

The streets are filled with snow, the road home is long, but the warmth of the room keeps you company.

If I could stay in the cage forever, I would gladly defy the heavens and become a demon.